From data gathered by Dharma Life Labs, we listened to communities in rural India from women to local businesses and households to understand their challenges and restrictions they were facing. We found that rural women in India are vastly excluded from paid labour, left on the sidelines with unrealised potential. Without addressing women’s empowerment, equity is a distant dream. Limited access to education, health services, job training are significant hurdles. To pursue new opportunities requires skills, confidence, and social support. The reality of these women’s lives requires more than single- issue solutions. Building an inclusive labour force requires addressing interconnected barriers-to-equity.